Optimizing use states of a hybrid mobile vehicle along a discretized travel route

Abstract

An information processing apparatus includes a generation section configured to generate, from a state of a mobile vehicle in each position obtained by discretizing a traveling route along which the mobile vehicle travels, a state of the mobile vehicle in a next position for each use state of drive means contained in the mobile vehicle; and an optimization section configured to optimize the use state of the drive means in each position based on at least one of states of the mobile vehicle in each position generated by the generation section.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. An information processing apparatus, comprising:
 a generation section configured to generate, from a state of a mobile vehicle in each position obtained by discretizing a traveling route along which the mobile vehicle travels, a state of the mobile vehicle in a next position for each use state of drive means contained in the mobile vehicle; 
 an optimization section configured to optimize the use state of the drive means in each position based on at least one of states of the mobile vehicle in each position generated by the generation section; and 
 a constraint acquisition section configured to acquire state constraints of the mobile vehicle in each position obtained by discretizing the traveling route along which the mobile vehicle travels; 
 wherein the generation section generates a state of the mobile vehicle in the next position from the state of the mobile vehicle in each position under the constraints. 
 
     
     
       2. The information processing apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the generation section calculates, for each use state of the drive means contained in the mobile vehicle, a state of the mobile vehicle in each position having continuous parameter values including at least one of a traveling speed of the mobile vehicle, a time to the position or a time of arrival at the position, and a remaining amount of energy in the mobile vehicle. 
     
     
       3. The information processing apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein among a plurality of states of the mobile vehicle in the next position generated for each use state of the drive means contained in the mobile vehicle, when one state is equal or inferior to at least one of the other states in terms of any of a plurality of predetermined parameters, the generation section prunes the one state. 
     
     
       4. The information processing apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the optimization section is configured to:
 select an optimum state from among a plurality of states of the mobile vehicle at a destination generated by the generation section; and 
 select a state of the mobile vehicle in each position as leading to the selected state to identify, as an optimum use state, a use state of the drive means corresponding to the selected state in each position. 
 
     
     
       5. The information processing apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the generation section generates a state of the mobile vehicle in the next position for each combination of use states of a plurality of the drive means. 
     
     
       6. The information processing apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the generation section discretizes use states of the drive means to generate a state of the mobile vehicle in the next position for each of a plurality of discretized use states. 
     
     
       7. The information processing apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the constraint acquisition section generates state constraints of the mobile vehicle in each position based on a curvature in each position of the traveling route. 
     
     
       8. The information processing apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the constraint acquisition section generates state constraints of the mobile vehicle in each position based on a history of passing through at least a part of the traveling route. 
     
     
       9. The information processing apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the constraint acquisition section is configured to:
 acquire a situation of the traveling route; and 
 generate state constraints of the mobile vehicle in each position based on the acquired situation of the traveling route. 
 
     
     
       10. The information processing apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a position acquisition section configured to acquire a current position of the mobile vehicle; and 
 a control section configured to control the drive means based on a use state corresponding to the current position among use states of the drive means in each position optimized by the optimization section.